Seat cover



WITTCQFF SEAT COVER Filed Oct. 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l W m J W @W. I

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E. WITTCOFF SEAT COVER Filgd Oct. 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 19, 1932; Serial No. 638,546

Claims.

This invention relates to seat covers; and has special reference to seat covers designed and adapted to be applied to seats of the. type generally used in automobiles although the utility of the seat cover is not restricted to that specific application.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved seat cover including members to be applied to the surfaces of the seat and the seat back, respectively, and novel devices for holding said members in. proper position on the seat and the seat back.

Another object 'of the invention is to provide an improved seat cover comprising a section of flexible and pliable material having novel connections for holding the same extended against a seat surface and preventing substantial lateral or longitudinal displacement.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawings, in which-- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my improved seat cover.

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the seat cover applied to a seat.

Fig. 4 is a vertical front to rear sectional view of the seat cover applied to a seat shown diagrammatically.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fi 1'.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the Fig. 1.

Fig. '1 is a sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

The cover for the upper surface ofthe seat comprises a section I of flexible and pliable material, preferably woven and having numerous 40 openings provided by the warp and woof elements to permit proper circulation of air. I have found by experience that straws, or strands of other material about the size of straws having the woof elements running longitudinally and the warp. elements running transversely, provide an excellent material for this purpose. Such material is characterized by sufficient flexibility and pliability to conform readily to the contour and surface of the seat; and, on the other hand, is characterized by sufficient stiffness and also by sufiicient resiliency to resist rolling and crumpling.

A number of strips 2 are extended longitudinally along the underside of the section I in spaced relationship and are attached to said secline 6 -6 of tion I by longitudinal rows of stitches 3 running along the marginal portions of said strips 2 and passing through said strips and through the section .I.

The ends of the strips 2 are covered by transverse textile strips 4, one at each end of the section I. The strips 4 are attached to the section I and to the covered end portions of the strips 2 by transverse rows of stitches 5.

A strengthening strip B of textile material is extended along the front edge of the section I andthe inner end of said strip 6 is attached to said section i by a longitudinal row of stitches I. The ends of the strip 6 are covered by the strips 4' and are engaged by the stitches 5.

The marginal edges of the section I, the strips 4 and the strip 6 are enclosed by a folded flexible and pliable binder strip 8. A row of stitches 9 passes through the upper and lower portions of the strip 8, the enfolded marginal portion of the section I and through the marginal portions of the strips 4 and 6.

A valance, comprising an elongated section III of appropriate material possessing the same characteristics as the section I, is attached to the frontlongitudinal edge of said section I bya flexible and pliable and non-resilient strip II having one edge covered by the binder strip 8 and engaged by the stitches 9 and the opposite edge enclosed by a binder strip I2 enclosing the marginal edges of the section It! and attached thereto by stitches I 3. A transverse strip I4 is attached to the under or rear side of the valance section II] by transverse stitches I5 running along the inner edges of said strip I4. The outer edges of the strip I4 are covered by the binder strip I2 and are engaged by the stitches I3.

The longitudinal and transverse dimensions of the section I are approximately the same as the longitudinal and transverse dimensions of the seat members I6 to which said section I is to be applied, so that the binder strip 8 forms an appropriate frame conforming substantially to the edges of the seat member I6. The front portion of the frame comprising the strip 6 and the binder strip 8 extends above the front edge of the seat member I6, permitting the hinge connection II to curve in conformity with the adjacent portion of the seat member I6 and the valance II] to hang downwardly at the front of said seat member.

Sections ll of flexible and pliable and nonresilient material have their inner edges extended between the strips 4 and8 and covered by said strip 8 and engaged by the stitches 9. The front and rear edges of the sections I! are folded to provide double thicknesses of material along said edges and are held in such position by stitches IS. The outer end of each of the sections I1 is folded to enclose a strip I 9 of wood, or other suitable material possessing a sufficient degree of stiffness to hold the strips I? from folding and rumpling transversely and thereby cooperate with said strips IT to hold the section I from folding transversely. These sections I! are designed and intended to extend downwardly at the ends of the seat member I6 and to obtain frictional engagement with said ends and with the upholstery on the side walls of the vehicle body. Thus, these strips I? with the strips I9 connected therewith provide fasteners frictionally engaged between the ends of the seat member I6 and the upholstery on the side walls of the vehicle body and are effective to hold the section I from longitudinal or lateral displacement. The outer ends of the strips I! that are folded around the members I 9 are attached to said strips IT by stitches 29.

The cover for the back member 2| of the seat comprises a section 22, preferably composed of the same material and possessing the same characteristics as the section I. A strip 23 is attached to the under or rear side of the section 22 by longitudinal stitches 24. The strip 23 is about half way between the longitudinal edges of the section 9 and the ends of said strip 23 are covered by transverse strips 25 attached to the section 22 and to the strips 23 by transverse rows of stitches 26.

A relatively wide combined hinge and connecting member 21 has its lower edge extending between the section I and the binder strip 8 and engaged by the stitches 9 and its opposite edge extending between the section 22 and a marginal binder strip 28. The binder strip 28 is folded to enclose the marginal edges of the section 22, the strips 25 and the section 21, and is attached to said parts by a row of stitches 29 passing through all of said parts. The strips 23 may extend so that the ends thereof are enclosed by the binder 28 and held by the stitches 29, if desired, and such as is indicated in Fig. 1. In any event, whether they extend thus far or are only bound to the sections 22 by the strips 26, it is clear that the tension produced in the section, such as by the fastener strip 3! to be described, will be taken practically altogether by the strip 23, since this tension will be transmitted to the strip, either directly through the stitches 29 or indirectly through the stitches 29, the section 22, and the stitches 26.

A friction holder 30 of flexible and pliable and non-resilient material has its lower edge attached to the upper edge of the section 22 by being extended between said section 22 and the binder strip 28 and engaged by the stitches 29. This friction holder 39 is of sufficient length to extend upwardly against the front surface of the back member 2| above the section 22 and thence rearwardly across the upper edge of said back member and downwardly for a suitable distance at the rear of said back member. This strip 30 constitutes a frictional fastener for obtaining frictional engagement with the contacting surfaces of the back member 2| in order to assist in supporting and holding the back section 22 located against the front of the back member 2| and prevent said section 22 from dropping forwardly or moving downwardly or laterally.

I! and enclosing strips 32 in their folded outer ends, are attached to the ends of the section 22 in the same manner in which the strips H are attached to the ends of the section I. The upper and lower edges of the strips 3| are folded and secured together by stitches 33, and attached between strips 25 and binder 28 to said section 22 by stitches 29 and the folded portions of the outer ends of the strips 3| that are folded around the strips 32 are attached together by transverse stitches 34. These stiffener strips 32 cooperate to prevent rumpling or folding of the end portions of the section 22. The sections 3| extend rearwardly against the ends of the back member 2! and between the ends of said back member 2! and the upholstery side walls of the vehicle body and have frictional engagement with said parts, so as to constitute fasteners holding and supporting the section 22 against and in proper position on the front side of the back member 2|.

The connecting hinge strip 21 is of considerable width so as to extend downwardly between the rear edge of the seat member I6 and the back member 2| and thus constitutes a fastener for holding the adjacent edges of the seat section 2| and the back section 22 of the seat cover in proper position and location.

If desired, the seat covering member I may be provided with straps 35 in connection with its rear edge and straps 36 in connection with its front edge. These straps may be extended downwardly at the rear and front, respectively, of the seat section I6 and under said seat section and connected by a buckle or fastener 31, whereby the entire seat cover device is releasably attached to the seat member I6.

A device constructed and formed in the fashion shown and described is capable of easy and rapid application to the members I6 and 2| forming the seat and will be held in proper position by the different fasteners described even if the fastening straps be omitted. The device may be manufactured and sold at reasonable cost and obviously obtains all of its objects and purposes in a high efficient manner.

I claim:

1. A seat cover comprising a section of flexible and pliable material having approximately the same area as the area of the surface to which it is said concealed side of the ends of said section and to the ends of said longitudinal strip, a flexible and pliable section attached to each end of said first section and to said transverse strips and said frame and adapted to extend across the ends of the seat member to which said first section is ap-. plied, and a transverse stiffener attached to the outer end of each of said last named sections and preventing the same from folding.

2. A seat cover comprising two separate sections of flexible and pliable material adapted to be applied to the upper and front surfaces of the seat and back members of a seat respectively, a strip extending longitudinally of and attached to that side of each of said sections that is concealed when the cover is in use, flexible and pliable frames enclosing the margins of said sections respectively, transverse strips attached to said concealed side of the ends of said sections respectively and to said longitudinal strips, a flexible Fastener strips 3 I, similar to the fastener strips connection uniting the adjacent edges of said sec tions and adapted to extend between the seat and back members, flexible sections of material attached to the ends of said first two sections respectively and to said transverse strips and adapted to extend along the ends of the seat and back members of the seat respectively, and. stiffeners attached to the ends of said last named sections and preventing the same from folding transversely.

3. A device of the kind described including a section adapted to substantially cover a seat, a member at each end thereof to secure said section to the seat to maintain it in position thereon, and reinforcement including means on said section to take the stress of said securing means and distribute the same laterally, and means connected with said first named, means to take the stress of said securing means and distribute the same longitudinally of the said main section, whereby to prevent said stress from straining said section.

4. A device of the kind described including a section to said seat to maintain it in position thereon, reinforcement means connecting the ends of said section and attached to said members whereby to take the oppositely directed stress of said two securing members by tension within itself, whereby to prevent such stress from straining the first-mentioned section.

5. A device of the kind described including a section to cover a seat portion, securing elements, one extending from each of the opposite edges thereof, and each comprising a member of substantial width, means in said member to engage between the sides of the seat and the adjacent wall portion and thereby resist removal from therebetween, a transverse reinforcing strip on each end of said main section secured to the securing means at that end of the main section and said strips being adapted to receive and distribute transversely the stress from said securing elements, and a longitudinal reinforcing strip connected with said elements to receive the longitudinal stress thereof.

EDWARD WITTCOFF. 

